Day 9: Santa Rosa, New Mexico

High winds continued all night, buffeting the RV, but in the morning, they had died down to just pleasant breezes. Temperatures were in the mid-60's for our morning walk and Ranger really seems happy to have it cooler (at least early; it's supposed to get to mid-80's) .

Rain is expected later in the day, but we had a sunny morning to take a hike.

This body of water, out in the desert, is obviously Santa Rosa Lake, another man-made lake formed by a dam.

Along the trail, we saw a ground squirrel,  a jackrabbit, and quite a few different birds, as well as this guy:

The campground emptied out early in the day, but now rigs are starting to arrive for the night.  With clouds moving in, I think we'll have a quiet evening inside the RV.